Reforest The Tropics

What Reforest The Tropics does

Reforest The Tropics is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered at 28G Cottrell St., Mystic, Connecticut (Tax ID 06-1449475) that designs, plants, and manages mixed-species tropical reforestation forests on private farmlands in Costa Rica for the purpose of selling verified carbon offsets to US corporate emitters. Founded in 1993 by Dr. Herster Barres at the request of the EPA, the organization became operational in August 1996 following joint U.S. and Costa Rican government approval under the UNFCCC Activities Implemented Jointly (AIJ) program. It currently manages more than 1,400 acres of research forests across 17 farms in Costa Rica and serves over 100 US emitters.

The organization's core product is a single integrated tropical reforestation program packaged as three buyer-facing offerings — a Tropical Reforestation Program, Carbon Offsets, and a "Sponsor A Forest" program — all delivered through the same physical asset base. Its underlying technology is a scientifically designed mixed-species planting methodology developed from 60+ years of tropical silviculture research, which the organization reports more than doubles CO2 capture per hectare per year versus an industry standard of 12-15 MT CO2e/hectare/year. Verification is delivered through annual forest measurements, third-party audits at least every five years, GPS coordinates provided to sponsors, and satellite-accessible monitoring. Each sponsored forest is individually marked and identified, giving the donor sole claim to the sequestered CO2 rather than participating in a pooled credit system.

The business model is a hybrid of charitable donations and recurring carbon offset sponsorships. Individual donors and corporate sponsors contribute tax-deductible donations through the website (PayPal and mailed check) or sponsor specific forests through direct corporate engagement, receiving GPS coordinates, growth reports, photos, a forest sign identifying the donor, and sole claim to the CO2 sequestered. Geographic footprint spans the United States (donor and sponsor base) and Costa Rica (operational forests). The organization holds a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and is a member of 1% for the Planet. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contribution amounts are determined case-by-case.

Name

Reforest The Tropics

Legal name

Reforest The Tropics

Website

https://reforestthetropics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reforest The Tropics is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that plants and manages mixed-species tropical reforestation forests on 1,400+ acres across 17 farms in Costa Rica, selling verified, individually sponsored carbon offsets and donations-based sponsorships to over 100 US corporate emitters seeking transparent, GPS-tracked long-term CO2 sequestration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Offset & Reforestation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Tropical reforestation
• Carbon offsets
• Forest sponsorship
• Biodiversity conservation
• Sustainable forestry

Headquarters

HQ city

Mystic

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Reforest The Tropics operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit funded primarily through donations. Donations are tax-deductible within U.S. law guidelines (Tax ID 06-1449475). Donors receive carbon offset benefits, annual forest reports, GPS coordinates, and naming rights to their sponsored forest.
2. Carbon Offset Sponsorship: Companies and individuals sponsor specific forests and receive carbon offset credits. Unlike pooled credit systems, each forest is individually marked, identified, and verified. Sponsors have sole claim to the CO2 sequestered in their specific forest.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reforest The Tropics is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that plants and manages mixed-species tropical farm forests in Costa Rica to generate verified carbon offsets. Sponsors — primarily US corporate emitters and individual donors — fund the planting of individually identified forests and receive GPS coordinates, annual growth reports, photos, and sole claim to the CO2 sequestered in their specific forest. The model combines carbon capture, biodiversity habitat creation, and farmer income generation through long-term forest sponsorship.

Product overview

Reforest The Tropics operates a single integrated reforestation program focused on tropical forest creation in Costa Rica. Their core offering combines carbon offsets with biodiversity conservation and farmer economic sustainability. The organization plants mixed-species forests on private farmlands, which sponsors can monitor via GPS and satellite imagery. They do not operate a modular platform or separate product lines—their offering is a unified service model centered on forest sponsorship, carbon credit verification, and long-term forest management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tropical Reforestation Program Sustainable mixed-species reforestation program that plants and manages forests on private farmlands in Costa Rica for carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and farmer income generation. Backed by 60+ years of tropical forestry research.
• Carbon Offsets Verifiable carbon offsets from individually sponsored forests. Donors receive GPS coordinates, annual growth reports, and sole claim to the CO2 sequestered in their specific forest. Forests more than double the CO2 capture per hectare versus the industry standard of 12-15 MT CO2e/hectare/year.
• Sponsor A Forest Program allowing individuals or organizations to sponsor specific forests in Costa Rica, receiving annual reports, photos, GPS coordinates, satellite monitoring access, a forest sign identifying the donor, and sole claim to sequestered CO2.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than doubles CO2 capture per hectare per year vs. industry standard of 12-15 MT CO2e/hectare/year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) / US and Costa Rican GovernmentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 1995On November 30, 1995, the United States and Costa Rican governments approved a UNFCCC-AIJ (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – Activities Implemented Jointly) Program proposed by Dr. Barres to investigate the offset of US CO2 emissions in tropical farm forests. This government approval enabled Reforest The Tropics to become operational in August 1996.
• Center for Higher Education and Agricultural Research (CATIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Herster Barres was assigned to CATIE in Turrialba, Costa Rica as an FAO Forestry officer, where he taught and undertook research in testing tree species for wood production on farms. He founded the Latin American Tree Seed Bank at CATIE and planted trees on farms in the Turrialba Valley.
• Institute of Tropical Forestry (Puerto Rico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Herster Barres worked as a research forester at the Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico from 1961 to 1964, contributing to 60+ years of research experience in tropical silviculture that underpins the RTT model.
• Woods Hole Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Philip Duffy, President and Executive Director of Woods Hole Research Center, endorsed the RTT model, specifically praising the economic sustainability aspect that generates income for landowners. This scientific endorsement validates the organization's approach.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is a nonprofit that runs reforestation projects globally and raises funds through individual and corporate sponsorship. It competes with RTT for the same donor and small corporate sponsorship dollars, though it operates across many geographies rather than concentrating in Costa Rica.
• Pachama: Pachama is a digital carbon credit marketplace focused on nature-based solutions including reforestation. It directly competes with RTT as a high-integrity forestry offset provider serving corporate buyers, though via a tech-enabled marketplace rather than direct farm sponsorship.
• South Pole Group: South Pole develops and sells verified carbon credits from forestry and land-use projects globally, including tropical reforestation. It is a direct competitor to RTT in the voluntary nature-based carbon market and serves a similar corporate emitter base.
• Terrasos: Terrasos is a Colombian-based organization developing nature-based carbon projects including tropical reforestation on farmlands. It mirrors RTT's model of producing verified credits with co-benefits for biodiversity and local communities in Latin America.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Conservation International develops and markets nature-based carbon credits from tropical forests and biodiversity projects. It serves a similar corporate buyer base to RTT but at greater scale and with broader programmatic scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a large environmental nonprofit that runs reforestation and forest conservation programs at much greater scale globally. It overlaps with RTT in tropical forest carbon and biodiversity work but as a diversified, multi-thematic organization rather than a focused reforestation operator.

Others

• Ecosia: Ecosia funds reforestation projects globally using search-ad revenue, including tropical projects in Latin America. While not a direct offset competitor, it competes for the same sustainability-minded donors and corporate ESG budgets as RTT.

Emerging players

• Verra: Verra operates the VCS program that registers and verifies forestry carbon projects like RTT's. While not a direct commercial competitor, Verra sets the standards and registry infrastructure RTT relies on, making it a critical ecosystem participant.
• TerraPass: TerraPass is a US-based carbon offset retailer sourcing credits from forestry, renewable energy, and methane projects for corporate and individual buyers. It is comparable to RTT as a retail-facing channel for forest-based offsets, though it does not own or operate its own forests.
• Winrock International: Winrock implements forest carbon and climate projects in developing countries, including verified ARR and REDD+ programs. It is comparable to RTT in tropical forestry project development, though it operates more as an implementer for donor-funded programs than a direct offset seller.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReforestTropics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reforest The Tropics